ALDCLIFFE with PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting held on 3rd December 2019 at 7.00pm

The Friends Meeting House, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster.

Present: Councillor Nick Webster (Chairman) Councillors Brigid Letheren, Chris Norman, Denise Parrett and Kevan Walton City Councillor Tim Dant Derek Whiteway, Parish Clerk

Twelve members of the public were also in attendance 19/57 Apologies for Absence Apologies were received from City Councillors Abi Mills and Joanna Young and County Councillor Gina Dowding.

19/58 Minutes of the previous meeting The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 5th November 2019, were approved without further amendment. Matters Arising: 1) Min 19/48(1) Dog waste bins and bags. The Clerk had received further, but not yet complete, information from the City Council.

Action: The Clerk to continue to liaise with the City Council to resolve these matters.

2) Min 19/48(2) Planning applications. The Clerk had no further progress to report regarding the availability of traffic survey data on Road.

Action: The Clerk to continue to research the availability of previously collated traffic information covering Aldcliffe Road.

3) Min 19/54(2) Road Closures. The planned closure of Aldcliffe Road adjacent to the metal footbridge to allow the removal of a gas main was now scheduled to take place in January 2020.

19/59 Declarations of Interest No additional declarations of interest were made.

19/60 Planning Applications 1) New Planning Applications in the Parish The following planning applications were considered. It was resolved to respond as set out against each individual case.

Application No: Description

19/01460/OUT Outline application for the erection of 9 detached dwellings with associated access. Land at Grid Reference 346801 460087, Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster. The Chairman and Councillor Norman introduced the item, setting out the main features of the proposals and the nature/status of the application as an ‘outline’ application. City Council planning consultation deadlines were set as 18th December for neighbour consultations and 20th December for standard consultations (including the Parish Council). It was noted that the application had not been identified on the City Council’s planning portal as being related to the parish and that this had impeded attempts to search for the documents. It was agreed that the Parish Clerk should request an extension to the neighbour and standard consultation deadlines. The Chairman asked for residents’ views on the application and these were discussed alongside comments and opinions from Parish Councillors. Concerns and questions were raised and debated on the following aspects of the proposals: • The position of the application relative to the existing and proposed national and local planning framework; • Highways access and safety issues; • Sustainability and the extent of the increase in the size of the hamlet; • Drainage and sewage disposal; • Visual impacts; • Environmental and ecological considerations, especially on land bordering the canal; and • Emerging views of parishioners regarding development in the parish, as expressed in the ongoing Housing Needs Survey. Following lengthy discussion, the Chairman asked those present whether they objected to the submitted plans. One parishioner abstained and the remaining eleven parishioners all indicated that they objected. In view of this response, Councillor Parrett proposed that the Parish Council submit a formal objection to the City Council. This motion was carried unanimously. Given the strength of feeling, the Chairman also encouraged parishioners to submit their own comments to the City Council

Resolved: That the Parish Council submits a formal objection to the planning application to the City Council.

Actions: The Clerk to request an extension to the Neighbour and Standard consultation deadlines for the application. The Parish Clerk to collate the views of Councillors and draft a letter of objection.

2) Story Homes developer consultation, land adjacent to Ashton Road. The Chairman outlined a recently distributed developer consultation regarding a proposed development of 140 homes on land between the A588 Ashton Road and the , extending from Deep Cutting Bridge to Carr Lane. Parishioners in Stodday had received an invitation to comment on the proposals. The developers had also consulted City Councillors through a ‘level 3 pre-application advice’ process. As the site lies outside the parish, the Parish Council is not a statutory consultee for this proposal. The Chairman opened the matter to comments from the floor. The widely held concern of parishioners and Councillors was that the development would give rise to increased traffic flows through both Aldcliffe and Stodday with an associated increase in risks to road users. These concerns were exacerbated by the impending opening of the new Aldi store on Aldcliffe Road. Further comments were raised that the development appeared premature in the context of the proposed developments for the Garden Village in . Parishioners confirmed that they would wish the Parish Council to refer these concerns to the developer at this stage, The Chairman proposed, and it was unanimously agreed that a letter of representation should be sent to the developers expressing the concerns raised in the meeting.

Resolved: That the Parish Council submits a letter of representation to Story Homes setting out concerns about the potential impacts of the proposed development on the parish. Action: The Parish Clerk to draft a letter to Story Homes asking that the views of the Parish Council and parishioners be considered in their pre-application consultation process. The Clerk to request the City Council to notify the Parish Council if any subsequent planning application on this site.

19/61 Neighbourhood Plan Councillor Parrett reported that AECOM had agreed to revise the previously flawed Housing Needs Assessment report and the revised report was awaited. The Neighbourhood Plan Working Group’s (NPWG) own Housing Needs Survey was well advanced with approximately 70% of householders having responded. It was agreed that a cut-off date of Friday, 13th December would be set for the return of forms. The results and conclusions from both of these exercises would be fed into the NPWG’s ‘Issues and Options document. The NPWG was next due to meet in January 2020 with a view to finalising the Issues and Options document ready for consultation with parishioners and other stakeholders in early Spring 2020. A drop-in consultation event is being planned to be held at a location in the parish in the Spring. Following the consultation process and any ensuing amendments, the document will then feed into the draft Neighbourhood Development Plan, covering a wide range of issues pertaining to the parish. Following presentation of the plan to residents for confirmation by a local parish referendum, the ultimate stage in the process will be the adoption of the Plan by the City Council as a binding element of the statutory Local Plan.

19/62 Blocked Drain adjacent to Snuff Mill Lane footpath The Chairman reported that he had recently received an encouraging letter from United Utilities (UU) indicating that £7k funding had been identified to enable work to be carried out to resolve issues with the blocked drain. Further information was awaited on the nature and outcome of works and drain blockage.

Action: The Chairman will report back on any further developments.

19/63 Budget 2020/21 The Clerk presented a verbal report into the process necessary for approval of the budget and precept for 2020/21. Details had recently been received from the City Council stating that the tax base for 2020/21 was very marginally reduced from the 2019/20 level. The Parish Council was required to notify the City Council of its 2020/21 precept by 4th February 2020. The budget would therefore be presented for consideration and approval at the next meeting on 7th January 2020. Prior to the January meeting, the Parish Clerk would be submitting a draft ‘continuation of services’ budget statement to Councillors and asking them to consider any changes to current activity levels and to review the extent and purpose of any designated reserves held.

Action: The Parish Clerk to circulate 2020/21 budget and precept options to Councillors and, following consultation, present a formal budget report for consideration at the January meeting of the Parish Council. 19/64 Public Discussion and Updates Clerk’s Report: Nothing further reported

Members’ Updates

1) Highways Councillor Norman reported that the Canal and Rivers Trust (C&RT) were still open to considering parking restrictions on their canal-side land adjacent to Aldcliffe Road. Councillors agreed that, should no positive developments be obtained from the C&RT by January 2020, alternative possibilities should be considered, suggestions including engaging with Aldi with a view to establishing a community project in the area, or introducing trees or other features along the road to discourage parking. A resident reported that road markings had not been reinstated along a re-surfaced section of Aldcliffe Road heading towards Stodday beyond Bank Farm.

Action: The Parish Clerk to report the missing road markings to County Highways.

2) Amenity, including the Lengthsman (Chairman) The Chairman reported on areas of work recently covered by the Lengthsman. Councillor Walton raised concerns about the condition of the Ashton Road footpath between Deep Cutting and Lunecliffe Road.

Action: The Parish Clerk to establish the exact nature and location of the Ashton Road footpath issues and make a report to County Highways seeking remedial action.

3) Public Right of Way, Drive No further developments regarding the restricted byway order.

4) Stakeholder Liaison, including United Utilities (Councillor Walton) No further matters reported. 5) BT Openreach (Chairman) The Chairman reported that a notice had been made by BT to the City Council of their intention to install a fixed broadband transmission pole at Lunecliffe Barn. The Chairman he had spoken to the property owner about the proposal and had written to BT enquiring as to whether the facility might be capable of being extended through the parish. A response was awaited. 6) Ancillary (Chairman) The Chairman reported that a recent article in the Lancaster Guardian had set out City Council aims to bring back into use long-term empty properties in the District. The Chairman felt that there was scope to make representations to the City Council regarding East Lodge, which had now been unoccupied for around 20 years and was clearly in a state of chronic degradation. Resolved: That the Parish Council should write a letter of representation to the City Council’s Empty Homes Officer, with a copy to the owner, asking that enforced purchase of East Lodge be considered as means of returning the property to habitable or otherwise usable condition.

City and County Councillors’ Reports 7) No further reports Public Discussion: 8) No further matters were raised.

19/65 Payments

Payee & Detail £

Friends Meeting House – hire of room 03/12/19 23.00

Greg Robinson – Lengthsman Service, October 2019 *note 1 240.00

A.P & L.A Worledge – clearance of silted watercourse bordering 456.00 Snuff Mill Lane footpath. * note 2

Councillor Nick Webster – stationery and postage 51.82

* note 1: this invoice had already been paid under delegated authority and was presented for information only. * note 2: given the unusual circumstances surrounding this invoice, early payment had been agreed in advance by Councillors and it was presented for information only.

Resolved: That the above accounts be approved for payment.

19/66 Date and venue for next meeting The next Parish Council meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, 7th January 2020 at the Friends Meeting House, Lancaster at 7.00pm.

The meeting closed at 8.50pm

Clerk of the Council

Chair Date: